You without muscle may burn 2000 calories a day resting. You with muscle (quite a bit of it) may burn 2200 calories per day resting.

Cardio, instantly burns calories, but doesn't give you the additional benefit of putting on muscle, which burns additional calories

So burning 500 calories doing cardio, and burning 500 calories lifting weights does the same thing today. But tomorrow, the lifting weights will still tax your body for additional calories, where cardio will not

If you can do both, do both. The trick to getting rid of fat, is to start moving, do something, anything. The more you clean you your diet, and the more you move, the faster your body begins to burn fat.

Don't ever underestimate the horrific effects that bad diet will have on your results. That little bite there, little nibble there, little snack here, shit adds up FAST. You can consume more calories in 60 seconds eating, than you can burn in 60 minutes doing exercise.

A Snickers bar has 280'ish calories. Get on a rower, and see how hard it is to burn 280 calories.